李正宏 Andy 黃寶瑩 Paoyin 楊 媚 May Play Therapy / Basic Skill
Dealing with Questions
Group members
Practical Questions
Personal Questions
Relationship Questions
Ongoing-Process Questions
The
of children’s questions
therapy 01 02 03 04
nature
in play
of responses 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Answer the Question Ignore the Question Use Minimal Encouragers Restate the Question Guess About the Purpose/Interpret Return Responsibility to the Child Answer With a Question Decline to Answer
Types
The Nature of Children’s Questions in Play Therapy
“ “
In the decision on which strategy to use in answering a particular question, one of the important factors for the therapist to consider is the type of question.
1. Practical Questions
▪ commonsense information
▪ These questions can have underlying hidden meaning Examples
▪ What time is it?
▪ Can I go to the bathroom?
▪ Where is my mother?
▪ Is this a dog or a wolf puppet?
p.177
2. Personal Questions
▪ A need to increase their knowledge of therapist’s life
▪ Feeling exposed due to the fact that therapist know more about them
▪ Enhance their feeling of connectedness with therapist
Examples
▪ Do you have any children?
▪ Where do you live?
▪ Are you married?
p.178
2. Personal Questions
▪ older or more “streetwise” → power
▪ Who have poor boundaries or have experienced sexual abuse → acceptable
Examples
▪ Do you like sex?
▪ Do you and your wife/husband “do it”?
▪ What do you wear to bed?
▪ Would you like to touch my privates?
3. Relationship Questions
▪ commonsense information
▪ personal feeling professional perspective → really care
▪ Two different messages
1. obvious, literal meaning
2. underlying hidden meaning
Examples ： Who else comes here?
1. the name of other clients
2. Are there other children that you care for?
p.178
3. Relationship Questions Examples
▪ Do you like me?
▪ How many children come here?
▪ Are you happy to see me?
▪ Don’t you wish I could stay longer?
4. Ongoing-Process Questions
▪ “the parameters of the process of play therapy and the boundaries of the relationship between them and the play therapist”(Kottman)
▪ solicit help from therapist
▪ explore the rules in play room
▪ get the therapist to read their minds
▪ make decisions for them
p.179
4. Ongoing-Process Questions
1. obvious, literal meaning
2. underlying hidden meaning
Examples
1. Can I shoot the dart gun at you?
2. Will you let me do something to hurt you?
4. Ongoing-Process Questions Examples
▪ Would you like it better if I paint this barn red?
▪ Can I throw this ball in your face?
▪ What do you think I am going to do now?
▪ What should I do next?
Dual-Category Questions Examples
Do I know any of the other kids who come here?
▪ Practical question
She could with whom get a ride to the clinic
▪ Relationship question
She feels jealous
：
p.180
Dual-Category Questions
▪ Child is usually focused on the literal meaning or the question, and the more hidden meaning is out of his/her awareness.
▪ Make a guess
→ has a recognition
→register the new awareness
Decline to answer with a polite manner
Types of Responses
Restate Encourage
Answer Reply with another question Return responsibility Make a guess of the purpose
Ignore
Answer the Question
p.180
▪ Sometimes the most sensible strategy for dealing with children’s questions in therapy is to simply answer them.
Answer the Question
▪ Sometimes the best answer combines a guess about purpose or interpretation of the meaning of the query with general caring response designed to convey accept and understanding to the child.
Answer the Question
▪ If the therapist decides to answer questions, replies should be brief and just a straightforward as the queries, conveying simple information such as time, dates, directions, and so forth.
Example
▪ “Do you like me?”
▪ I care about all of the children who come to play with me.
▪ I think kids are the greatest people in the world.
▪ I care about you a great deal.
▪ You’re a very special person.
▪ You’re really important person to me.
Ignore the Question
▪ Ignore the questions doesn’t mean ignore the children.
▪ When choosing this method, therapists try to encourage children to answer themselves by making eye contact and smiling in a caring way.
▪ Nonverbally conveying a confidence that the child can answer his own questions without assistance.
p.182
Use Minimal Encouragers
▪ To convey interest and understanding in as few words as possible.
▪ This strategy work with all 4 types of questions but especially appropriate with practical questions and questions about ongoing play therapy process.
p.182
Restate the Question
▪ Reply the child with a statement or a question which has the same meaning with original question.
▪ It’s appropriate for 4 types of questions and is used most often in a nondirective approach.
p.183
Example
▪
“What time is it?”
▪ You want to know what time is it.
▪
“Do you like Asian people?”
▪ You want me to tell you how I feel about Asian people like you and your family.
Example
▪
“Do you have any children?”
▪ Do I have any children? ▪
“Do you like me?”
▪ Do I like you?
▪ Do I care about you?
Guess About the Purpose/Interpret
▪ It helps clarify the child’s intention and gaining an awareness of any underlying message communicated by the question.
▪ response in the form of tentative hypotheses
→ feedback about the accuracy and relevancy
▪ effective with practical questions with multiple interpretations
p.184
Example: guessing/ interpreting/ why
▪ “Can we play a game today?”
▪ You sound like you might have already figured out what you want to do today.
▪ I’m guessing you would like to decide what we are going to do in here today.
▪ It seems like you’re wondering if I would be willing to play with you this morning.
Return Responsibility to the Child
▪ The therapist would usually do this with practical questions or when asked to help deciding questions about ongoing process.
▪ Appropriate for nondirective and directive play therapists.
Examples
▪ You can decide that for yourself.
▪ I bet you can figure that out.
▪ In here, it can be whatever you want it to be.
▪ You are the only one who can know what you are going to do next.
p.185
Answer With a Question
▪ Used more in directive play therapists.
▪ Works with any types of question, depending on the therapist.
Examples
▪ What did you want to use to hit the mirror?
▪ So you’re asking if you can jump from the top of the pillows onto what?
▪ Do you really want to know if I like girls better than boys, or do you want to know if I like you or your brother best?
p.186
Answer With a Question
▪ Whisper Technique
▪ When child asks a question, therapist uses a whisper voice to ask, “What should I say?”
▪ Works best with practical and ongoing-process questions.
Decline to Answer
▪ Therapist should decline to answer personal questions that violate socially appropriate boundaries.
▪ It is important to avoid sounding judgmental about the question.
▪ Limiting this type of question is essential to setting good therapeutic boundaries.
p.186
▪
“Why did you have to adopt your son?”
▪ I choose not to answer that question.
▪
“Do you like thong underwear?”
▪ I don’t answer private questions like that.
▪
“How often do you have sex with your husband?”
▪ That is private and isn’t for discussing with other people.
Example
Thank you
